The Starlight Watchmaker

An unlikely connection forms between a watchmaker android and a wealthy student in this wildly imaginative sci-fi mystery from YA star Lauren James.

At an elite academy where the wealthiest students from across the galaxy come to be educated, Hugo works as a watchmaker in a dusty attic room. But he is one of the lucky ones. Many androids like him are jobless and homeless. A privileged student like Dorian could never understand their struggle – or so Hugo thinks when the pompous duke comes knocking at his door.

But when Hugo and Dorian uncover a potential terrorist threat, android and student must overcome their differences and work together to track down the culprit before the whole academy is placed in danger.

Particularly suitable for readers aged 11+ with a reading age of 8.

Reviews

“SUCH an adorable and fun short story … You're in for a treat” – Alice Oseman, author

"Rich and brilliantly bonkers … Its themes of social justice and equality really set it apart in the sci-fi genre" – Belfast Telegraph

"Charming and funny" – BookTrust

"James creates a world full of impossible wonders … an important story about friendship and doing the right thing by others" – The Letterpress Project

"Fantastic science-fiction … wildly inventive" – Armadillo Magazine

"A charmingly wrought story for reluctant readers that explores social class divisions in an intergalactic setting." – Kirkus Reviews

About the author

Lauren James is the Young Adult author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, The Quiet at the End of the World and The Next Together series. Her books have sold over fifty thousand copies in the UK alone, and have been translated into five languages worldwide. She was longlisted for the 2016 Branford Boase Award and was named ‘one to watch’ by Kirkus.